Second Best
by Arethusa Fellini
Summary: Chapter IV: Awakening. Finally, Naruto has awakened. But he wasn't the only one that was brought into an awakening. Feelings, good or bad, unwanted or not, surface with uncontrolled vehemence. And it doesn't necessarily have to be connected to Naruto.
1. An Eventful Meeting

**Author**'**s Introduction**

This story is set approximately five years after the time-skip (the start of Naruto _Shippuuden_). All facts found in the manga hold true to this story until such time that any part of the events I myself have set are contradicted by the newer releases.

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**Chapter I**  
_An Eventful Meeting_

They hit him as if they were pieces of _senbon, _pelting his sensitized skin continuously – achingly. Then, they ran a course through his body, penetrating inside his clothes, coating anew his already soaked skin. Their icy temperature mingled with the warm combination of blood and perspiration that covered him.

His body unconsciously shivered.

He stood there, immobile, while the cold and bitter wind slapped against his body and the sharp drizzle slowly cleansed him of the blood and sweat that covered him.

He stared at the barely breathing body lying on the ground a few feet from him for what seemed like an eternity.

"_When are you going to be satisfied, huh?"_

He had done it.

"_Is this all you are still living for?"_

This time, he went all out.

"_Teme!"_

Yet, he gleaned no satisfaction out of it.

---

They both felt it. It was like a blast of dry, hot air passed had them at the speed of sound. On a cold, rainy afternoon like this, never mind that it was only drizzling; it was so foreign to feel something so dry that it was almost alarming. It was strong – so strong that it momentarily stopped the beating of their hearts and it caused the enemies in front of them to pause with their advances.

Another wave washed over them. This time, they were able to discern that there were two distinct chakra patterns instead of one which they assumed when they first felt it. But then after that, they feel the other chakra dissipate into nothingness.

The two of them exchanged looks, even with the distance that separated them. Hinata and Sakura arrived at the only obvious conclusion – Naruto. Some time before, he had fled the fight that was transpiring between the Sound-_nin_ and them.

Hinata could feel apprehension wrap over her fast thumping heart. Her _Byakugan _was currently eyeing the chakra flow of her opponent, but she changed her view in favor of her _Kekkei Genkai_'s ability to see more than a hundred-and-fifty feet away.

With her _Byakugan _activated and with her hands formed in a seal to intensify her chakra, she focused her gaze on the direction where she felt the source of chakra coming from. Concentrating on her task, her eyes went past the dense trees that divided her and Sakura's dueling area and into Naruto's. It felt like minutes as trees magnified before her eyes and swept past her line of view until she arrived at a clearing when in actuality it only took a few seconds. She felt her breath stop when she saw that Naruto was lying on the ground – unmoving.

However, those few seconds were critical because as soon as she was able to track Naruto down beyond the dense trees, almost invisible chakra strings wrapped around her upper body down to her foot. Her _Byakugan _immediately deactivated as she received a strong upward kick to her solar plexus. The force knocked all the breath out of her and was strong enough to lift her to the air.

Her opponent smirked, took out a _kunai _from his holster when gravity started to pull her down, and aimed it towards Hinata's chest.

Hinata swallowed the bitter bile of panic that lodged on her throat. She cut through his binds, pushing out condensed chakra from different points on her body that was covered with the strings as if they were knives. _Thank God for Neji-niisan! _She heaved her body vertically and forced chakra onto her left foot and used it to block the attacker's _kunai_. As soon as her foot connected with the _kunai_, she dug her foot in, using it as leverage as she swerved her right foot to kick her opponent's head.

The Sound-_nin _grabbed her foot before it could do any damage. He removed his hold on the _kunai _in favor of grabbing her other foot.

She felt him tug her ankles upwards, successfully inverting her upside-down. Unbeknownst to him, this was a fatal mistake – leaving her hands free while his were not. With her _Byakugan _already activated, she released chakra into a point on both sides of his outer thighs, causing his legs to buckle and paralyzing them for some time. As she had hoped, his hold on her feet loosened as he started to topple to the ground with a painful grunt as his legs gave out. Using her hands as leverage, she flipped over and away from him.

"Hinata!" Sakura called to her, worry lacing her voice.

"Sakura-_chan_, Naruto… he's unconscious," she answered the unspoken question with an amount of trepidation. It didn't go unnoticed to her how Sakura's fingers had twitched at her words.

"Let's lose them," Sakura stated while she ran over to her companion's place to face her struggling opponent. She wasted no time and deftly grabbed the Sound-_nin'_s arm, hefted him over her head as if he weighed like a sack of feathers, and with chakra-filled hands, threw him onto a pursuing _shinobi_ behind her.

Being Sound-_nin, _it wasn't that easy to pin down the enemy. Even if his comrade was flung at him at a dangerously fast speed, he evaded the thrown body easily.

"Tch," Sakura's tongue curled as she eyed the pursuant. "Hinata-_chan_, you should go – I'll catch up with you before you can say Ichiraku Ramen!" She said rather smugly at her opponent, getting the desired reaction of angering him.

Hinata nodded in acquiescence, turning away from Sakura and entering the forest. She hadn't gotten far yet when she felt the ground before her tremble; she had no doubt that the epicenter was none other than her pink-haired friend. A little over half of a minute in, she could already sense Sakura running behind her.

Feeling slightly relieved with this knowledge, she used her eyes to examine Naruto's chakra coil system – or lack of it, she realized with distress. She faltered on her steps but she righted herself before her mistake could do more damage. Naruto—much as she'd like to tell herself that it wasn't him—was lying on the ground almost lifeless.

She focused her eyes on Naruto, fearful of the infinitesimal amount of chakra that emanated from his body. Her view was blocked by Sakura's own body that she reluctantly switched back to her normal, yet highly sharp eyesight. But this time, her eyes noticed a man in a black _yukata_ sitting inconspicuously on the crevice created by the big roots of a large tree.

_Could that person be…? _Shimatta! _Uchiha Sasuke!_ She wasn't sure that the person was him since she didn't have any basis – except for his vague fifteen-year-old face she remembered when she last saw him on a particular anti-climactic event best left forgotten. She then looked at Sakura who was running for Naruto's direction, which was unfortunately also the way to the Uchiha's position. To make matters worse, he was standing up, and from the looks of it, was going to walk towards Naruto.

"Sakura-_chan_! Sakura! Stop! Wait!"

Sakura's distance between them had grown rather large, given that Hinata was the first who broke for a run towards Naruto. Besides, her voice was being swallowed by the wind. Most probably, Sakura's attention was focused on Naruto alone that it was impossible for her to know that his 'companion' was still in the vicinity. _Please, be careful!_

Hinata finally arrived at the clearing, slowing down as she did. Sakura was already there, kneeling in front of Naruto and was currently turning his body over. She forced her gaze away from them, fighting against the desperate urge to aid him. She was saved from trying too hard to get her attention off of them when a flash of white rays hit her eyes.

Uchiha Sasuke… was taking something shiny out of his _yukata._ Leaving no room for second thoughts, she went on her offensive stance and rocketed off, activating her _Byakugan _as she did. She was aiming for the pressure points on his arm but other than that, she threw some shuriken at different parts of his body to mask her objective.

Her precaution was left for naught; it was either because the barrage of shuriken were too slow for him or he was too fast for the shuriken. Still, she went on. As soon as she reached her target, he slapped her hand away as she swept past him. However, she didn't expect him to grab her wrist afterwards and yank it hard to his left. Her body, which wasn't immune to the laws of physics, jerked around to face him as he simultaneously faced her. With quick reflexes expected of the Uchiha, he had grabbed her other wrist, making her arms useless. His eyes looked at her with silent intent. Then she saw his knees move.

Reading through his next movement, she molded a thin layer of chakra onto her stomach, just in time for the deadly kick to make contact with it. He had let go of her arms as soon as he had kicked her, so the force of it sent her backwards. Deadly, it was not, much to her surprise, but it was still strong enough that it was sure to send her flying quite some feet away. And took flight she did.

Hinata bent her body and dug her heels on the ground, her fingers following, impeding her movement and carving lines on the muddy ground as she did. She eyed the Uchiha warily as he silently watched her, an arm still in the inside of his _yukata_. She jerked up when she saw that he had already drawn out his sword – his _Kusanagi, _which she just noticed was held on his left hand. Her eyes narrowed as she prepared for another offensive. However, before she could make any move, the Uchiha had just suddenly thrown his own weapon in front of her, a feet away as it stood proudly on its muddy foundation, droplets of rain dancing on its smooth surface.

She understood the significance of his actions, maybe too much, but she didn't care. She knew for a fact that he wasn't going to attack them, but she knew for a fact that he wasn't going to surrender either. She stood up with relieved and grateful eyes. She walked towards the surrendered weapon, not moving her eyes away from him. She then bent and pulled the _Kusanagi _out of the ground when she was on level with it. He had backed away as soon as she picked it up and had taken to sitting in between the large roots of the tree where she had first found him, his head resting on it with closed eyes.

She ran towards Sakura whilst holding a firm hand on the _Kusanagi. _She came to a halt a few feet away from her destination. Tears of shock pooled around her eyes as she saw the actual devastation that was wrecked on his body. His clothes were bloodied. Deep, crude slashes were all over his arms. And, there was a gaping hole on his stomach. Aghast, she whipped her face to where the Uchiha was sitting, searching for his eyes, wordlessly demanding that he open them.

It was as if her resentment of his actions physically reached him across the distance between them because his eyelids moved, until finally, they were open. When he had them open, she locked gazes with him, her eyes accusing – silently conveying, '_How could you?_'

Exactly what she was looking for, she didn't know… guilt, maybe. But, it was disappointment that was flickering in his two black orbs. And, she still couldn't believe it, sadness. And then it struck her. Her head turned slowly towards the unconscious man behind her.

_Naruto… how can you be so childish?_

"H-he… he stopped breathing!"

Hinata stopped breathing altogether. She could hear Sakura sobbing and softly calling out his name. She couldn't stop her knees from weakening. Anytime now and they were going to give. She tried to move, to walk towards him, but her legs refused her will. But then, she heard her friend gasp.

"Wait!"

"Sakura…?"

"I… I still feel a pulse!" Sakura exclaimed frantically, suddenly tearing through Naruto's clothes after her outburst. "I-It's faint but its enough."

And it was enough for Hinata to start moving. She crouched beside Sakura, looking at Naruto's pallid face. She was tense as she watched her friend's chakra-imbued hand hover over the large sword wound on his stomach.

"Not to worry, Hinata-_chan_. Naruto won't leave you like this," Sakura consoled Hinata, and inwardly, herself.

She bit hard on her lower lip to stop herself from bursting into tears at such a critical time. She was about to offer her aid to her friend but she dismissed it upon seeing the fierce concentration on her eyes. And, looking at Naruto's destroyed state was taking a heavy toll on her. She released a sigh. At times like this, she could really feel her uselessness stand out. She glanced back at the Uchiha, noticing that he still had a hand inside his _yukata_. Her brows furrowed. But then again, the Uchiha was still _human_. It was stupid of her to think that he couldn't get injured.

Standing up, she made her way to the tree he was resting on. She reached inside her weapon pouch, feeling for her homemade topical cream. He _is _a _shinobi _of Konoha after all, she reasoned with herself. She hesitated when she was a feet away from him. When it brooked no reaction from him, she took the final step and knelt in front of him. She opened the container she was holding.

Sasuke's eyes opened when the container popped, the sound resounding in his trained ears. Wordlessly, he watched as Hinata tugged at her undershirt and tore off a small piece from it. She then folded it in half a few times. Then, her hand went towards him. He stopped her with his own hand when hers went to the opening of his _yukata, _his eyes issuing a silent warning.

"_Onegai shimasu." _Please.

He looked at her with his eyes veiled by his long lashes, wondering why she was humbling herself to him. Her hand was insistent – but so were her eyes. He conceded, letting go of her hand but looking away from her. If she wanted to make a fool of herself by helping him, so be it.

A long moment of tense silence passed between them as she moved his robe aside to administer first aid.

"Uchiha-_san,_" she called softly. The honorific didn't go unnoticed to the Uchiha, judging from the way his lips had tightened in response when she spoke.

"I don't know the exact details of what happened between the two of you, but what I know of you, and of Naruto, I think… the both of you… have acted stupidly," she told him with the straightest voice she could muster while she cleaned the wound on his chest with the cloth she had torn up from the sleeves of her clothing. She felt him tense beneath her hands.

She waited for a stinging retort for him, but there was only silence that ensued. Relieved by this, she relaxed. She continued with her ministrations, now applying the medicinal cream on the lighter wounds on his chest. Going towards the seriously damaged wound that she had cleaned, she noticed the familiar pattern it created – _Rasengan_, though, it wasn't as deep as she thought it should have been. Still, her eyes dimmed at what Naruto and the Uchiha had gone through.

She tensed when she felt something familiar close around the area they were at.

"Uchiha-_san_," she started to speak though she did not looking directly at him. "There are two other Konoha-_nin _with us. I-I think they–"

"I can sense them."

"Oh, ah, s-sorry, I mean – aren't you um…" She couldn't end her statement. How could she say that she wanted him to leave? Not when Naruto clearly did this to make him go back to the hidden village. But she didn't like the fact that the Uchiha had taken the bait.

"I'm staying."

-----

"What in hell is going on here?" Neji questioned with barely controlled vehemence. He thought his eyes were deceiving him at first when he saw his cousin administering first aid on Uchiha Sasuke – missing-_nin _and, even after all these years, was still considered by many as a traitor. He locked gazes with the Uchiha, who in turn looked back, but had nothing shown in his eyes or his face to hint at his feelings.

He was tired. The Sound-_nin _had been very persistent, even if the attackers weren't that large a number. Considering that the _Hokage _had sent only five of them to protect the border for the night had been a headache. What the _Hokage _was thinking was beyond him at this moment. Then _this…_

"Neji!" Lee exclaimed, moving in-between Neji and the other two with arms raised to his sides. "I would advise against making any unnecessary moves on the Uchiha. It does not seem that he poses a threat to us."

He raised his right brow. "I suppose Naruto barely clinging to life doesn't pose as a threat," he said with sarcasm on his voice.

"Ah," Lee looked behind his back; he caught the eyes of Hinata, to which the latter nodded in seeming agreement. He released a deliberate cough to clear his throat, "You see, Neji–"

"He's badly injured," Hinata intervened.

Neji scowled. "Hinata-_sama_, I think your trust for the Uchiha is undeserved, misplaced if you will."

_No, Neji-niisan_. She made a quick glance at the Uchiha. _I've noticed it since I got here. His eyes… they have the same light after your fight with Naruto on the Chuunin exam seven years ago. _

"I've stabilized his condition!" Sakura informed loudly enough for all of them to hear. "We have to get him to the hospital, stat! I don't have the proper medical equipment to help him further," she continued as she stood up shakily, a side effect from the exhaustion of a large amount of chakra. She was about to cave in but Lee was there in a blink of an eye to support her.

She summoned a weak smile. "_Arigatou, _Lee-_kun._"

"Lee," Neji called on the green beast, who had taken to helping Sakura in holding Naruto's body upright.

"_Hai?"_

"Carry Naruto and escort Sakura back to Konoha."

"Roger!" He said, using his free hand to give Neji a salute as his teeth flashed.

Sakura helped Lee carry Naruto onto his back. When she deemed his position secure, she gave the signal for the both of them to leave. She looked back behind her, shouting for a safe journey for the two cousins.

"_A-anou, Nii-san…"_ Hinata looked at her cousin hopefully.

"Hinata-_sama_, you are coming with me. We will be marshalling the Uchiha back to Konoha," he ordered in a tone that brooked no argument. His lips tightened as he heard her hesitant and unenthusiastic affirmative. He looked away from the disheartened eyes of his cousin, knowing full well that her heart and her mind were on Naruto's welfare. His gaze landed on the Uchiha. His eyes narrowed.

"Uchiha, stand up."

"_Nii-san…?" _

"I'm going to close off most of your _tenketsu_. Nothing _vital,_" he informed for his cousin's benefit who had been about to protest.

Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly in response.

"It's still going to be painful."

Hinata bit her lip.

Sasuke sent him a bland stare. "Do as you will."

-----

They had been walking for half an hour now, and Hinata was as fidgety as a bee trapped in a bonnet. Her worry was eating her away. If she knew that her cousin was going to separate her from Sakura and Lee she wouldn't have spent those moments treating the Uchiha's injuries. No, she wouldn't have done that. That would just be against her principles. She sighed. Besides, she didn't have the right to complain. The setup her cousin had organized had been thoroughly logical.

"Render me unconscious."

"_What?_" Hinata exclaimed. Had she heard the Uchiha right? She whirled around, being the one in front of the walking group. Was this some sort of joke? That had gotten her hopes up.

"Both of you wouldn't need to walk if I was unconscious. You would get to Konoha by the end of the day."

That just notched her hopes up tenfold. She couldn't stop her eyes from twinkling even after biting her lip. Without notice, Sasuke suddenly jerked forward and slumped onto Hinata's unsuspecting body.

"Neji-_niisan_!" She said with surprised eyes at what she completely believed to be her cousin's abrupt act, pushing the Uchiha's body away from her with effort but taking care not to push too much that he'd fall to the other side.

"He has a point," Neji heaved the unconscious young man from his cousin and carried him on his back. "But it would be better if you get there first. I doubt if Sakura and Lee would have the time to warn the Konoha officials of Uchiha's… return," he paused, at a loss at the proper word to use for the unusual circumstance they were in.

She stared at her cousin in stunned silence.

"Please go ahead, Hinata-_sama_."

"You'll be alright?"

"_Hai,_" Neji couldn't stop his mouth from twitching. It was not as if he had any other choice, he thought to himself. He will suffer this in silence, because, as much as he hated to admit it, the Uchiha had shown more compassion for Hinata's feelings than he did.

He watched his cousin fade into the distance. Grimacing, he adjusted the Uchiha's unconscious body on his back and started the faster-than-usual trek back to Konoha.

**

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**Disclaimer: **This fiction is written for entertainment purposes only, thus, the authoress will not be profiting from this. Naruto and its characters are owned by Masashi Kishomoto.


	2. An Uneventful Meeting

**Chapter II**  
_An Uneventful Meeting_

Electricity surged through Sasuke's sword, cackling in delight at the amount of power coursing again and again on its conductive surface. It emitted violent sparks of pristine white light, illuminated by an eerie bluish-white glow. Yet, it wasn't enough to illuminate the surrounding darkness. Yes. It was dark, he was surrounded by blackness, with the sparks of lightning playing on his sword offering little to no light at all.

He was breathing slowly, relaxed; contradicting the volatile movement of the _Chidori Nagasi_ concentrated on his _Kusanagi_.

A man's voice, whom he quickly identified as Naruto's, echoed in the black void. "I'm not letting you go this time, Sasuke."

A few moments in, blue chakra swirled and condensed in front of him, forming into a sphere of hostile perfection. The ball's glow shaved off enough light to illuminate Naruto's grinning face. He could see Naruto's eyes were flaring wildly with intense excitement.

"Come on, Sasuke, what are you waiting for?"

Sasuke smiled derisively. "Isn't that supposed to be my line?"

"Eh?! I WILL say what I WANT to say!" Naruto responded fiercely, pointing a free thumb at himself to give stress to his point.

What his point was, Sasuke could only guess at.

"_Dobe,_" he taunted with ease. He found it easy to fall back into their kind of banter, pointless or not. "You still act like you're a kid."

Naruto bloated his mouth with air, whipping his head away as he took offense at his words. Still not staring at his face, he threw him a question, but at a much more serious tone. "When are you coming home?"

Sasuke's hold on his _Kusanagi _tightened imperceptibly. Gone was the trace of light-heartedness on his face, small as it is. "I'm not," he answered with a calm—bordering to cold—voice. "Besides, it never was."

"What are you saying? Konoha is and _always_ will be your home."

"It hasn't and it never will be," he retorted a little too quickly, a little too harshly.

"Che. You're still as stubborn as an ass," he commented with little annoyance as he raised his _Rasengan _on level with his head. "Tell you what. If I get out of here alive, you're gonna have to go back to Konoha."

Sasuke arched a brow. "As expected of you, Naruto. That rule is completely–" _Stupid_, his mind continued as he noticed something. His eyes narrowed. The Naruto in front of him was not him but a shadow clone. His mouth curled. Trust Naruto to get his guard down, he thought with dark amusement.

Too bad he wasn't able to mask his presence completely.

Sasuke whirled around, putting his _Chidori­_-laden _Kusanagi_ in front of him in perfect timing to block Naruto's oncoming _Rasengan_. He scowled.

He wished he could stop that stupid grin on his face, though.

---

It was already evening when Hinata walked into the large lobby area of the Konoha Hospital. She raised a weary hand to shield her eyes from the intense lights inside, having been coming from the barely lit roads of the village. She ran the whole way from the Hyuuga compound until here, which might explain why her legs were a little shaky. She was exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally, to put it mildly.

When she had arrived at the village some hours ago, she had gone directly to the _Hokage_'s office to request an appointment. It had been mayhem, afterwards. Her cousin had been right to predict that Sakura and Lee wouldn't have had the time to make the village aware of Sasuke's return.

Even after arriving at the village and delivering Naruto's body to the hospital, Lee had immediately left the village to go back and help the two cousins. He had left as fast as he had arrived, leaving the concerned villagers in apprehension and dire curiosity as to what was really happening. She had met with Lee at the outskirts of the village, with him throwing her a warning about fellow Konoha _shinobi _stopping him to question him about what was going on. That tidbit of news had somewhat put her down, having been expecting an uneventful arrival with a quick trip to the _Hokage_'s office to explain the situation before finally going straight to the hospital and checking on Naruto.

Though she hadn't faced the 'curious' villagers upon arrival as she had first feared, she had to cool her heels in front of the _Hokage_'s door for close to an hour. Shizune, who was still assisting the _Hokage_ after all this years, had told her that the _Hokage _was at the hospital. Even without explanation, she knew why the _Hokage _was there. She had felt her restraint on herself loosen and she had been close to breaking point. It was only through her high sense of responsibility that she stopped herself from pursuing her want of seeing Naruto. Her selfish act was not going to help Naruto get better.

The _Hokage_, when she had finally come back to her office, didn't waste time on pleasantries and directly went down to business—that is—the business of informing Hinata of Naruto's condition. And everything was told bluntly – without any words of comfort to blur out the truth.

There had been no sign at all of the _Kyuubi_'s chakra in him, she was told.

That had left her completely shaken; having been hoping that he'd at most get his help from the monster sealed inside him. And the _Hokage_, who had thought that that was the only reason for Hinata seeing her, said her dismissal. Dazed, she had walked to the door with blank thoughts and only when she had grabbed the handle did it dawn on her of the original intention she had come for.

So, turning back, she reported concisely the incidents that happened that day: of how her group had dispatched the Sound-_nin, _of how her group had coincided with Sasuke's path when they were protecting Fire Country's borders, of who had beaten Naruto up, and of how Sasuke was being returned to Konoha by her cousin. Shizune's audible gasp had been one thing, but the dark concentration that had entered the _Hokage_'s beautiful features was rather disturbing. She had left with a curt goodbye.

She shouldn't have thought that she was already free to see Naruto. Then she wouldn't have been that aggravated about seeing a Hyuuga branch member waiting outside the _Hokage_'s office. Her relationship with the branch members was very sensitive after all, not to mention, flimsy at its best. She had been close to throwing a fit when she was told she was to report to her father pronto – with a capital P, from the fearful look on the branch member's face.

Her father, Hiashi, had been raving mad when he learned that she hadn't returned with Neji. His _'You left him with the Uchiha?!'_ had been rubbing salt on her wound. Of course, the fact that she had gotten home safely seemed to have totally escaped his mind.

Even so, she wasn't about to retire the night without seeing Naruto.

She forced her tired feet towards the reception desk. "Excuse me," she rested to hands on the top of the desk, linked together as if in prayer. "I'm here to visit Uzumaki Naruto. I'd like to know where his room is, please."

The receptionist glanced at the indigo-haired woman in front of her disinterestedly. She took her time in grabbing the pile of clipboards beside her, going as far as stifling a yawn. She raised her brows upon reading something from the papers she was holding. "I'm sorry. Uzumaki Naruto has been prohibited from seeing visitors as of the m—"

"Hinata-_chan_!" Sakura's voice drowned out the monotonous tone of the seemingly uncaring receptionist. She cantered towards Hinata, garbed in a white medical coat. She took a close look at her friend. "You okay? You look really pale." Well, paler than normal, she thought to herself.

"Ah, I'm fine, Sakura-_chan_, thanks. You?" She asked in return, not in politeness, but because there were dark bags of weariness beneath her eyes.

"Of course!" She answered with what Hinata thought was too much of a forced smile. "Kara-_san_, I'll take it from here."

The receptionist didn't even bother raising her head at them; instead, she waved her arms lazily, as if dismissing them.

Sakura snorted and rolled her eyes. "The perks of having a dysfunctional receptionist," she linked hands with Hinata's, dragging it along with hers, urging her softly to walk faster. "But, what Kara-_san _said is true, so I can only show you where he is for now. I hope that's okay with you?"

"Oh! No no no… it's more than fine! I-I can't thank you enough." For a moment there, Hinata had thought that she wasn't going to be able to see even just a glimpse of him.

"Here," Sakura pointed to a room with glass walls. "He's in… critical condition still. But that's just for now!" She muttered the last sentence as quickly as she could when she saw traces of alarm appear on Hinata's eyes. "That's why we moved him here. We have to keep a close watch on him. We'd probably get more privacy by tomorrow when we move him to a private room."

Hinata could only nod silently as she desperately tried to hold back the painful lump that had formed on her throat. Naruto looked terrible. His whole face, including his body, was ashen, a far cry from his healthy tan. Even his blond hair had lost its normal luster. It was as if a _shinigami_ had paid him a visit and had sucked him dry of life. It hurt her terribly to see him like this, specially knowing that she hadn't been able to help him, to do anything about it.

Sakura, who noticed that her indigo-haired friend was on the verge of breaking down, decided to give her some badly needed alone time. "Hinata-_chan_, I need to get back now. Page me at the nurse's station if you need me, okay?"

Hinata nodded her agreement vigorously, holding back the tears that were about to break out, grateful that she wasn't about to disgrace herself in front of someone.

When Sakura had gone, she touched the cold surface of the glass window that separated her and Naruto. Her fingers curled against the glass.

---

Opening his eyes, Sasuke raised an arm to block the glare of the sun's morning rays. He blinked a couple of times, trying to get rid of the blur that was associated with waking up. Through the haziness, he noticed the dots of red welts all over the arms he had raised, reminding him of where he was and what had happened.

He bolted upright. It wasn't morning, and there definitely wasn't any sun out yet, not even after a few hours. Hands went onto his temples as he tried to curb the rush of blood to his head.

"You're awake," a man's voice announced.

He looked up to see a ninja in slouched on a chair on the other side of a column of steel bars. The pony-tailed guy looked at him lazily while an unlit cigarette dangled on his mouth. Nara Shikamaru, he identified mentally with ease, as if it was only yesterday that he was gone and not a whole two years.

And, from the looks of it, he was in jail.

Shikamaru stood up and pulled out a key ring dangling inside the pocket of his pants. The keys in it jingled – the sound echoing inside the thick walls of the jail. He walked towards the Uchiha's cell and leaned on the bars near the steel door, inserting the right key in the process.

The hinges groaned as he swung the cell door open. He wore a cynical smile on his face as he eyed the Uchiha with mild arrogance. He rested a hand on his hip as he watched him get his bearings.

"_Iko_._" _Let's go. His head motioned for the Uchiha to follow him. He also looked the other way, nodding at someone partially hidden in the shadows. He walked off, with the Uchiha following behind and a _jounin _at the back, taking care not to be too close, but not too far either.

When they were out of the cells and into a hallway lined with doors, he gave the Uchiha a good once-over at the corner of his eyes. If the man was curious about the lackadaisical way he was being managed, he wasn't showing it on his face. He stopped on the third door they leveled with, noticing that the Uchiha had also stopped, albeit still a few feet away from him.

He opened the door and turned on the ceiling light upon entrance. Still outside, he waited for the Uchiha to enter the room before getting in himself. With little compunction for etiquette, he grabbed one of the two chairs near the entrance and sat on the back support of it, planting his feet on the seat.

The Uchiha sat on a chair a yard away from him, a table separating them, the two of them facing each other.

Shikamaru grabbed a clipboard that had been set on the table beforehand and brought it close to his face, then reciting its contents.

"Uchiha Sasuke, Konoha _genin_ as of seven years ago, later classified as missing-_nin _the same year. Was affiliated with Otogakure for the next three years. Reports stated and clarified that the Uchiha had been under the direct apprenticeship of one of the legendary _Sannin _and Konoha missing-_nin_, Orochimaru. Body had been used as container for Orochimaru's soul for a period of one week, to which the original owner, Uchiha Sasuke, regained consciousness during the second invasion of Konoha. Specific reasons unknown as to how he had reclaimed control on his body. Strong speculations that an Akatsuki member had some bearing with said incident, specifically, one Uchiha Itachi, also a Konoha missing-_nin_," he paused as he flipped over a page.

"Left Konoha territory immediately after Otogakure's unsuccessful mass invasion. Was sighted two years ago on the border of the Land of—" he yawned, a lazy hand covering his gaping mouth. "—okay, I think that's enough history lessons for one day." He threw the clipboard haphazardly on top of the table. "Let's get to the point, shall we?" He drawled, not really waiting for an answer. He sat down properly on the chair this time, crossing his arms in front of him.

The Uchiha didn't do anything.

He cleared his voice with a cough. "You do know that there were Sound-_nin _with you when you fought with Naruto, right?"

The Uchiha stared, keeping silent, his face with a look of indifference.

"And that that fact can be used against you in front of the Elders?"

He continued to stare at him, his face devoid of any expression. It was only through the slight shrug of his shoulders that Shikamaru was able to know that he had heard him. He raised a mocking eyebrow.

"But of course, if you had the _Hokage_'s recommendation that you pose no threat to the safety of Konoha, then you should be fine. But then again, there is the matter of a beaten up Naruto, which wouldn't really sit well with the _Hokage_."

Silence.

"Why?" Sasuke queried, speaking for the first time since he woke up.

Shikamaru didn't bother to pretend that he didn't understand the question nor misunderstand it.

"Because we don't want history to repeat itself."

-----

Sakura cradled Hinata in the circle of her arms. They were sitting on the cold floor of the hospital, since that was how she had found the pale woman, leaning on the wall Naruto was roomed in, her hands covering her face. Hinata had been sobbing quietly. Heck, she wouldn't have known she was crying if it wasn't for the trail of tears that were slowly gliding down her arms. She had been able to take a glimpse of her friend's eyes.

Hinata was devastated.

She had absolutely no idea what to do. Usually, it was Hinata who backed Naruto all the way, showing her belief in him as an excellent _shinobi _and as a person. Yet, here she was, a heap of teary mess, pale and shaken. She was actually holding Hinata with great care, afraid that she was going to break into pieces if she was handled wrongly.

She herself believed in Hinata's strength. But this… she didn't understand. She didn't understand at all.

Whatever. She wouldn't leave her alone when she was like this, anyway.

"S-sa… S-Sakura-_chan_," Hinata hiccupped, stammering at her words. "_Go…go-mena-s-sai."_

"You don't have to apologize, Hinata-_chan_," she said as she softly stared at her friend's pale lavender eyes, stroking the long length of her indigo hair.

Sakura stiffened, her mouth freezing just as she was about to offer a small smile.

She mentally shook her head. For a moment there she thought she was looking at Sasuke's eyes, that time that she had arrived at the clearing. She already had a pretty good idea who the other person was that time she came running towards the clearing, but seeing him again, after a long time, had really shaken her.

And then he had looked at her. Like, _really_ looked at her. And he was letting her look at him. She remembered feeling like she was being torn apart so many times by the bonds that intertwined her, Sasuke, the person she had confessed she'd do anything for, and Naruto, the person who had done everything for her, yet had not asked anything in return.

Sakura risked a glance at her friend's eyes once again. Yes, they definitely held the same expression. And she was none too happy with that conclusion.

---

"What do you want me to say? That Naruto proved me wrong?"

"Ah, so you do have feelings," Tsunade remarked rather smugly as she rested her head on her open palms.

She had been taunting the Uchiha ever since he entered her office for the last hour. She threw him insults on the way he had been living ever since he left Konoha for the second time. She insulted him on his height, even, jabbing in how Naruto seemed to have grown _taller_ than him. She jeered him about getting all cocky about revenge _again_. However, it was like taunting a slug, no matter how much you push or prod, it would still move its slimy little self like nothing was happening. But this… now this was _progress_, she thought to herself with great satisfaction. And here she thought she was going to have a problem with voicing out her brimming frustration on the guy.

"Ho-Hokage-_sama_–" Shizune started, alarmed at the unusual lack of emotion shown on the Uchiha's face, only to stop short when the _Hokage_ raised a stopping hand.

Sasuke forced his face to be even more impassive and looked at the _Hokage _condescendingly. Two could play that game. "Of course, I just have better control over them than you." Of course, almost everyone was aware of her short-fused temper, even to an Uchiha who was but a mere acquaintance to her.

The _Hokage, _who was really serious about her brimming frustration, saw red, more affected by the way he had said it than the actual words. She narrowed her eyes. But just as she was about to issue a retaliation, the door to her office opened. Her eyes twitched. Obviously, he was eavesdropping. And, he knew where the conversation was heading.

"Ah—" Shikamaru drawled lazily with raised brows. "—you aren't finished with him yet?"

"Let's get this guy executed!" She exclaimed while banging a fist on her desk, eyes lit with rage.

"Can't."

"Why?" She asked as her eyes twitched more.

"You accidentally sent a declaration of what sounded like war to Sunagakure," he explained with a sigh. "Executions wouldn't exactly mean 'peace-loving country'. If I hadn't been the one to deliver the message that time…" he shrugged as his voice trailed off, letting her remember how he had ironed out the mass of wrinkles she had set on that piece of letter that was supposed to congratulate the _Kazekage_ on his strategic plans that had stopped the start of a civil war.

The _Hokage _decided to ignore that. "Then imprison him for life!"

"Can't."

"_Why!?"_

"Prisoners from the Wave Country will be sent here for two months since they're rebuilding their jail," he clucked his tongue. "What a drag, a country gets rich so criminals spring out. Not really the kind of development you'd want to see."

Knots appeared on the _Hokage_'s temples as she tried to control her anger through an interesting display of twitching eyes and mouth.

"You did ask."

"Are you going to contradict everything I'm going to order?"

"Can't help it if you aren't aware of the daily activities in the village," Shikamaru answered bluntly. He sighed when the _Hokage _cursed him, a look of utter boredom coming out of his face. "For starters, just bring him under house arrest. It's not like we used all the houses on the Uchiha compound."

Tsunade stared at him critically for the next few seconds. "Fine! Shikamaru, get two ANBUs to escort him to the Uchiha compound and stay there. Now both of you get the hell out!"

The Uchiha stood up, not bothering to act out formalities on the _Hokage_.

Tsunade pursed her lips. "Oh, and Uchiha," she called the young man with a trace of annoyance. "Don't delude yourself with the fact that I've forgiven you for taking advantage of Naruto's weakness."

Shikamaru issued another sigh and his shoulders drooped as he bit on the still unlit cigarette dangling in his mouth. He waited on the door as he watched the Uchiha walk towards him. He opened the door and went out while the Uchiha followed closely behind him. Just as they were about to leave, both heard the muffled voice of the _Hokage _shouting at Shizune to bring her a bottle of _sake. _

He yawned, covering his mouth with the back of his hand and stretching his other arm up. "That went _way_ better than I had imagined."

* * *

**Author's Incessant Babble**

Reviews let me know if this story should still be continued.

**Disclaimer: **This fiction is written for entertainment purposes only, thus, the authoress will not be profiting from this. Naruto and its characters are owned by Masashi Kishomoto.


	3. Fight for Want

**Chapter III**  
_Fight for Want_

_Sasuke was amused at the sight of Naruto's smug face, specially the fiery glow of excitement dancing in his eyes. _

_He charged forward, noticing that Naruto's grin had gotten larger – if that was even possible. _

_The fool was actually enjoying it. But then again, so was he. _

---

It was a sunny Sunday morning. In one of the many rooms of the Hyuuga compound sat two people, the covered toes of their feet firmly planted on the _tatami _floor. The two cousins, Neji and Hinata, were in _seiza_, facing each other, but Neji sat on a burgundy _zabuton_ while Hinata sat on the cool _tatami _floor. Their sitting comforts were in contrast with what they were wearing: Neji's was the common white Hyuuga robe while Hinata's was a more formal slate gray _iromunji _with a bright golden _obi _embroidered with intricate flora—an appropriate attire for a well-rehearsed _sado_.

Hinata was delicately holding a lacquered _kyusu _with her hands, one hand with a firm hold on the handle while the other held the surface with the lightest of touches—just enough pressure to guide its long and slender neck down onto a powder-filled _chawan_. Steam and water curved out of the small spout of the _kyusu, _their paths dividing as the steam dispersed in the cold air of the morning and the water landed softly inside the tea bowl. With the same grace she had exerted on putting water into the _chawan_, she set aside the _kyusu_, atop a heated hearth.

Neji watched intently as his cousin's hands danced in front of her with such grace and delicacy as she prepared the utensils in front of her. She slowly picked up a _chasen_, a bamboo whisk, and lightly held on to its handle as if she was holding a calligraphy brush. Deftly, she moved the whisk with a flick of her wrist. Soon enough, light green froth formed on the surface of the tea as she quickly jerked the whisk back and forth in a zigzag motion. The tea's sweet and mellow aroma wafted into the air, promising the taste of spring, making his mouth water in anticipation.

Hinata offered the finished green tea to her cousin with a small bow, her hands outstretched in offering. She silently watched as Neji—with eyes closed—took a sip of the prepared tea.

A small smile. A nod of approval. They might be such small gestures to some, but they were already quite something for her. Permitting a smile, she awarded herself a more relaxed pose.

"Naruto," Neji started upon putting down the _chawan _he was holding. "Have you been able to visit him?"

"Yes," she replied with a quick nod of her head but her eyes had dimmed upon answering. "He is still in intensive care, though."

Neji, who had no reply to the piece of news delivered, carried the _chawan _he had put down on the _tatami_ floor and raised it to his lips, taking another small sip of the green tea Hinata had prepared.

Hinata, unperturbed by Neji's silence, smiled to herself, appreciating the beauty and serenity of the muted sounds of the village outside. Silence governed the two for the next couple of minutes.

Neji looked up, noticing that his cousin did, too. Their eyes met, her head nodding in silent understanding at the both of them hearing footsteps and voices of two distinct people – one high-pitched while the other owned a low, guttural voice.

Hinata, out of habit, reflexively scooped a heap of _matcha_ of the highest quality and put it inside an unused _chawan_.

Neji stood up, taking the tea his cousin had prepared with him as he kneeled to the left side of her, and then continued to take small sips on his own green tea once he settled on his new position comfortably.

The two people arrived, the taller of the two taking seat on the _zabuton _Neji had vacated while the smaller form kept to kneeling behind him, slightly to the taller person's right.

Hinata raised the finished green tea at a slightly higher level from her head and bowed as she offered it. _"Otou-san," _she called softly.

Her father took the offered _chawan_, nodding a silent thank you.

"I assume you are ready?" The way he said it made it sound more like a statement than a question. He took a sip of the green tea.

"_Hai, Otou-san," _she nodded meekly, folding her hands on her lap.

Only Neji was able to notice the tightened fisting of her hands.

"Hanabi," her father called as he stared unseeingly at the view offered by the open _shoji _screens.

"_Hai," _she responded curtly, standing up as she did.

Hinata, who had been sitting stiff since her father and younger sister arrived, also stood up. Midway to standing, Neji draped a hand lightly on her arm and mouthed 'relax' with a placid face. She offered him a small smile.

She carefully took off the _obi _and kimono she was wearing with the same calm and grace she had injected when she prepared tea, exposing a white training gear she was wearing beneath. She neatly folded the kimono into a square and, with the bright _obi _on top, put it beside the wooden beam nearest to her cousin. She walked off of the twelve-_tatami _room and out onto the vast grounds of the Hyuuga compound. She went to the soft, sandy grounds of the circular training area situated close to the open room Neji and her father were residing.

Facing back, she saw that her younger sister had already positioned herself on the training area.

Now a fourteen-going-to-fifteen teenager, she was everything Hinata wasn't when she was her age—and more. She had even grown as tall as her older sister and might even be taller give or take a few years. She epitomized everything a Hyuuga woman should be: from her sharp looks to the way she carried herself – regal, confident. And her skills far surpassed that of her older sister's when she was her age, enhancing and developing techniques new and old to suit herself as she deemed fit.

Her father had given recognition to Hanabi's skills long before he did on her own abilities. When she was ten, he had no compunction in telling her the painful reality of what her limitations were.

But Naruto had changed all that. He, who had so much, had given twice as many to not just her – but to everyone in Konoha, and even past the borders of Fire Country. It was he who had opened her eyes—not just once but twice—that with the right resolve, she had the power to mold her own destiny. But she also knew that she wouldn't get where she wanted if she didn't persevere, and that she shouldn't be expecting a miracle to happen just because she did what she did.

Her face took on a serious look. She didn't like the circumstances she was currently stuck in—a tangled web of pretension and a constant need to prove herself. But just because she didn't like it didn't mean that she didn't _want _this. She did – very much so. Naruto had taught her as much, not that he knew of it.

It was then that Hanabi permitted herself a small smile, feeling safe from the knowledge that she had her back to her father and that it was prohibited to use their bloodline limit in the Hyuuga premises unless it was for training or for emergencies. Hinata gave a slight nod in acknowledgement, her heart warming towards her younger sister. The both of them simultaneously positioned themselves in the basic stance of _Jyuuken_, their bloodline limit activated in sharp observation of each other's crawling movements.

Silence fell upon the Hyuuga people in the immediate vicinity of the training ground. Some of the elderly women stopped with their raking. Some of the middle-aged men and women even went as far as shushing their rowdy children. It was, after all, a rare event for two of the most important main members to train in front of everyone—and at such an accessible place for all the Hyuuga members.

Sand clouds formed as the two disappear from their positions. At the blink of an eye, they met at the center of the training area. Hinata's hand was outstretched, a few centimeters away from her younger sister's chest. If it wasn't for Hanabi's hands crossed in front of her that was currently keeping her hand at bay in the middle of the vice-like grip, she should have been touching it by now. Both of their hands were shaking from the immense contradicting forces they were putting, one pushing further, the other negating it.

Hanabi smirked. Physically she was stronger than her older sister—wait. _This isn't her! _She was a second too late in figuring that out as she felt an aura behind her and a number of chakra-fused injections on her spinal column. Her back curved in response to the chakra, contorting into an abnormal angle.

Hinata's eyes widened at the irregular curving of her sister's back. She bent down and examined her sister's convulsing body. She thought she had done serious damage but then puffs of smoke appeared before her and a log was exchanged with her sister's body. _Kawarimi! _

She heard the whizzing sounds of shuriken up above her head and was barely able to dodge the dozen that was thrown at her. She bit her lip. She noticed that the both of them were taking advantage of their blind spot.

Their sparring continued, with one trying to outwit the other until it looked like it was a game of tag until at one moment, they were in the air, exchanging blows with each other. In due time, they dropped back to earth.

The two landed on the soft ground of the circular training area, ending up on their initial positions when their sparring session started. Though now they were panting quite heavily, their long hair stuck to their heads and a thin line of perspiration coating their skin—making it gleam under the harsh mid-morning sunlight. It was to be expected for such a short session. It was more taxing to focus on keeping only a short amount of chakra out of their attacks when training. Such a minute amount—one that was strong enough to stop the flow of chakra yet weak enough that it did not cause discomfort nor pain—was more difficult than performing a full-scale attack.

"Hinata."

She knew to whom the voice belonged even without turning. _"Hai?"_ She answered as she forced herself to turn around to face her father.

"You are not to let your guard down no matter how strong a disadvantage you think you have over your opponent. Being ninja is all about deception."

She bit her lip, swallowing down the challenge that was just about to issue out of her mouth. This was her sister he was talking about, but she knew better than to retaliate.

"Hanabi."

Hanabi jerked her head in surprise to look at her father's eyes when he called her. _"Ha-Hai?" _Oh good, she stuttered, she thought to herself. She had been forcing down the surprise in her voice when she spoke since it was rarely that her father would speak of her mistakes to her sister—much less to _everyone _that was present.

"You are not to waste a single opportunity that opens your way, especially an opportunity as open as your older sister has erred."

The two sisters inwardly cringed upon hearing their father say 'erred'.

"_Hai, Otou-san," _Hanabi answered meekly.

"I know both of you are aware of the ways of the ninja. Compassion is not a part of it," he explained as he looked down at his two daughters this time.

The sisters could only look away from their father and away from each other.

Hiashi eyed his two daughters intently. As if their continued silence were getting to him he ordered, "Both of you are dismissed."

Hinata immediately ran for the main house once she heard her father's dismissal. However, she stopped when she heard her father call her back. Apprehensively, she turned her head to face him.

"Take care of yourself."

"_Hai, Otou-san," _was the only response she could think of at her father's unexpected display of affection. Behind her father, she saw Neji gave her a small smile.

A small smile. A word of approval. They might be such small gestures to some, but they were the trivial things she looked on with undisclosed contentment.

She turned back—only to be stopped by her younger sister.

"Ah," Hanabi raised an arm and rested it on her older sister's shoulders. _"Nee-san…"_

"Sorry, Hanabi but can this wait?" She implored at her sister.

Surprised at her older sister's humbling tone, she could only say a surprised 'yes' to her as her hold on her sister's training gear loosened. Her eyes dimmed as she watched her sister's retreating back. _Nee-chan…_

---

Eight days had passed. Naruto was still confined in the hospital. Fortunately, it was three days ago that he was taken out of intensive care and moved to a private room of his own and out of the cold, glass-walled room.

Hinata carefully opened a door and closed it behind her with the same care as she entered the moonlit room. She was about to reach for the switch to turn on the ceiling light but thought against it. Stepping into the almost dark room, she rested her gaze on the sleeping form on the single bed that was wedged on the corner of the room. She walked towards a wooden chair on the other corner of the room.

She carried the wooden chair and brought it near the hospital bed. She rested her hand on Naruto's open palms, taking care to avoid the IV catheter inserted on his arm.

"Sorry for being late, Naruto," she talked to the unconscious young man, her voice low, almost a whisper. "I had to go train with Father and Hanabi again and I couldn't really get out of it," she explained with a small smile, reassured by the warmth his hand evoked and the unstressed look on his face.

"And then there were a lot of paperwork backlogs to fix at the Academy—what with being undermanned for the coming Chuunin examination." She smiled. "Well, actually Shikamaru-_san _left all his work to me since Temari-_san _dropped by the faculty today. Temari-_san _was really angry because he bolted, saying that she was only here for a day."

She continued relating her experiences of the day in a soft, hushed tone, inwardly hoping that her voice could reach and help him—even if just a little. Occasionally, she would let go of his hand to fuss with his overgrown blond hair, or to lightly caress the faint lines of whiskers on his cheeks. But again and again she would go back to holding his hand, finding solace in the warmth it continued to evoke.

A half hour later, she stood up in preparation of leaving. She picked up the wooden chair and put it back to where it was – near the only window in the private hospital room. She took one last look at Naruto's sleeping face. She turned her back, and started to walk out of the room.

As she lightly treaded the hospital floor, her gaze focused on the faint outline of light seeping through the door. Strangely, there was a break in the light, about a few inches in width. Focusing her eyes properly, it was only then that she figured out that she was looking at someone's sandal. She looked up and noticed a man standing on the shadows provided by the dark side of the room. Short, spiky jet black hair and equally black onyx eyes; slender, yet obviously masculine body a few good inches taller than her.

"Uchiha-_san_," she greeted breathlessly when she was able to identify the person, her hand going defensively to her throat, more out of surprise than anything else.

There was no response. And she wasn't sure if it was just a figment of her imagination that he nodded—even for just a tiny movement of his head—in acknowledgement of her presence. She felt nervousness settle heavily in her stomach, remembering quite clearly that he was supposed to be under heavy house arrest and wasn't allowed to leave even the grounds of the large Uchiha compound.

"No, they're not aware I'm here," he said in a very low voice, as if sensing the question that was running in her head.

"Oh." Hinata's hands fisted, one still pressed against her throat while the other was pressed to her side tensely. When he had put it openly out like that she found that she couldn't think of anything to say in response. She vainly tried to relay something discussable to try to ease down the tense atmosphere she concluded was created by her and her alone. "Naruto…" she started nervously as she stared at him. She was slightly relieved he wasn't looking at her.

He trained his eyes on her, much to her dismay. She swallowed down the cotton that seemed to have formed at the back of her mouth. "H-Have you been visiting him s-since… since he was moved here?" What she really meant was had he been able to hear everything she was saying to Naruto? Just the thought of it made her breathing grow shallow. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw him move. She instinctively moved out of his way, an action she regretted as soon as she did because that put the Uchiha's full attention on her.

He stopped, his eyes narrowing as he dropped his gaze on Hinata.

Her face flushed red. She could feel her body involuntarily shy away from the intense glare he was sending her.

"This is the first time," he answered as he walked away from her and went for the solitary window a few feet away from the hospital bed.

"_A-anou,_" she started cautiously, wincing at the shrill sound of her voice. "Where are you going, Uchiha-_san_?"

"I'm not running away from Konoha, if that's what you're implying." He stopped by the window and turned back to her as he said this, his back leaning against the wall and his hands hiding inside his pant pockets.

Just when she thought that her cheeks had returned to their normal color, she flushed red again. But her curiosity had gotten the better of her when she found out that the Uchiha was visiting Naruto – illicitly at that. "S-sorry I sounded that way I—"

"It's time that I left."

"Please don't—don't go on my account!"

"I'm not," he answered with cynically raised brows.

"W-well… would you be back tomorrow?" She questioned in a rush, even ending in a mouse-like voice – all squeaky and small.

She felt his gaze narrow down on her _again_. Though, this time there was a look that was saying, 'have you taken leave of your senses?' She could feel herself tensing. So much that she was suffocating herself.

"_Go_…_ gomen ne." _Sorry.

He stood up, taking out his hands from his pockets. "The next rounds will be in four minutes," he informed cryptically as an answer as he put one of his feet out of the window.

She watched him as he leapt down onto the grounds of the hospital. All she could do was close the window he left open as she stared at him dissolve into the darkness of the night. She gazed up, looking at the full moon hidden by the thick clouds that stopped it from illuminating the battered down roads of Konoha. She couldn't move from her current position. There was just something surreal with what had just transpired.

It was only when approximately four minutes later, the door to the room opened to admit a nurse in that she remembered what 'rounds' he was referring to. She couldn't help but grimace at how she was reduced to a brainless mess in front of the Uchiha.

---

"Your names?"

It was late at night. Usually, travelers—especially merchants—would stop before sundown to camp and wait for the next day before continuing with their journey. If you arrived at a village—not to mention a _hidden _village—at a time this late, it was only normal for security to be tighter than usual.

"Nishizawa Hideya."

"Watanabe Hiromichi."

As soon as she had written their names down, the guard turned over her clipboard and shoved it in front of the two people. "Sign here."

The two men, one middle-aged while the other looked like he was just about out of his teens, bit into the balls of their thumbs until blood trickled out of their thick, calloused skin. They took turns in smearing their blood onto the paper.

The guard checked the signatures of the two with the two IDs she had slipped in between the pages of the clipboard. She tilted her head to look behind the two men standing towards a wooden caravan with, surprisingly, rubber wheels. As if on cue, three ninjas wearing Konoha vests jumped out of said transport, dropping their feet to the ground with a muted 'thud'. One of them gave a thumbs-up sign.

She turned her gaze back to the merchants. "Welcome to Konoha. Please enjoy your stay," she said in a deadpan voice, contrary to the welcome note she was voicing.

One of the two, a rather tall person who for his height seemed to be overweight gave out a huge grin, his eyes crinkling into an inverted 'u'. "We sure will, Ma'am."

**

* * *

Author's Little Corner **

_Chawan _– tea bowl  
_Iromunji _– type of _kimono, _worn specially for tea ceremonies  
_Kyusu _– tea kettle  
_Sado (chado) _– Japanese tea ceremony; art of tea  
_Shoji _– sliding window  
_Matcha – _powdered green tea  
_Tatami _– mat made of hardened straw, is also used to measure a room (one _tatami _is 90 cm x 180 cm)  
_Zabuton – _cushion

If there were any mistakes on the tea preparation (or any part of the fiction), kindly let me know, including how to correct it.

Another thing, to anonymous reviewers: please specify your e-mail if you want me to reply to your review (especially if you want me to answer your queries). Replying on the published chapter for the sole (even partial) purpose of reviews is against FF policy.

**Disclaimer: **This fiction is written for entertainment purposes only, thus, the authoress will not be profiting from this. Naruto and its characters are owned by Masashi Kishomoto.


	4. Awakening

**Chapter IV  
**_Awakening_

It was a fairly recent ritual that the three people inside the dim room had started – one an unaware spectator, the other two acting like they'd been doing it for a long time. For the past three weeks, Hinata had spent the last three hours of her day before she turned in for the night beside Naruto's bed. On her last hour of visitation, Sasuke would pop inside the small private hospital room through the solitary window.

A nod of acknowledgement would be shared, maybe a hesitant smile on Hinata's lips which he pretended not to notice. In turn, Hinata would pretend she didn't notice that he didn't.

She had taken to bringing a boxed dinner with her. Whenever he arrived, she would softly call out his name and offer him a neatly-arranged _obento. _The first time he had refused. He remembered she had looked at him with a wistful smile and said:

"I cooked this for Naruto-_kun_. He loves ramen so much that he seems to have forgotten how to eat anything else." She had laughed softly after that, like a fluttering of bells he remembered vividly. In a more somber tone, she had continued with a slightly dazed look, "But I don't want to waste food every time he doesn't wake up."

_Or to see the food I prepared left untouched. _

The statement hung heavily on the air. Although she never said it out loud, her face betrayed what she really felt.

It reminded him of the times he would wait for his older brother on the training grounds, his shuriken neatly lined out on the ground, gleaming against the harsh sunlight as it waited in perfect stillness for the time that it would be thrown into the air. And he would wait. And he would stare at the line of shuriken on the ground. Sometimes, he thought those killing tools shaped like the proverbial star would smile at him mockingly as the sun's rays finally disappeared for the night.

And through frustration, sometimes through tears, he would throw them haphazardly at the trees marked as targets. And it would make him feel better in a sadistic sort of way.

So, he had taken to eating the food she had prepared whenever she gave it to him when she would always say that the food was going to get cold soon. Tonight, though he took it from Hinata's caring hands, he hadn't come to eating it, leaving it untouched on his lap as time continued to pass.

What he did continually do was to close his eyes as he sat on the cold tiled floor in a position as comfortable as he could find and then listen to the young woman's voice two yards away from him. Sometimes he would take in what she was saying; sometimes he would just let the sound of her voice wash over his clouded thoughts.

It soothed him – her voice. It exuded so much warmth even if it was high-pitched and too soft sounding to his ears. He had entertained the idea that he kept visiting Naruto because of her—voice, he added as an afterthought. But that wasn't so. The _Kyuubi _wanted him there, and it was for that fact alone. How else was the dead-last going to heal himself if the damn demon was now acting like a child by throwing tantrums and not tending to Naruto's every whim?

He knew that the _Kyuubi_'s uncharacteristic behavior started upon the unsuccessful end of Orochimaru's invasion of Konohagakure, even before he fled the hidden village (for the second time). Naruto was aware about it. And so was he as soon as he noticed something amiss from his movements—rebellion maybe at knowing that the village of Konoha was finally going to get its peace. His palm met the cold floor, using it as leverage to push his body up.

"You're leaving, Uchiha-_san_?"

He nodded once, mentally noting that the silent woman—who had her back facing him—noticed as soon as he stood up.

"Oh," Hinata's gaze went straight to the untouched _obento_. Immediately, her eyes went to the floor. "I… I see."

He stiffened, forcing his gaze on the wall with the window as soon as he sighted her downcast eyes. He waded his way to the window, albeit a little stiffly.

Hinata watched as his form bent on the window and let himself out with silent grace. Even as he jumped to the ground, he hadn't given her a cursory glance.

She stood up, carefully laying Naruto's IV'd hand on the bed. She went over to the abandoned _obento _and picked it up with heavy hands. Surprise etched her relaxed face. Then she permitted a small smile.

The tomatoes were gone.

-----

Avoiding the moonlit and peopled areas of Konoha, Sasuke flitted from building to building. In no time, he was able to reach the outskirts of the Uchiha compound, stealthily going over the occupied houses of the area. Once he was on his house, he made a beeline to the garden in the back, carefully eyeing his guardians for even the slightest movement of recognition. Satisfied that his movements remained undetected, he entered the six-_tatami_ meditation room quietly, his gaze automatically focusing on his _bunshin _that was silently meditating inside.

"You could at least hide its presence like you do yours if you want to trick us into thinking that you're here," a masculine voice taunted from somewhere behind him.

He slowly turned to see Nara Shikamaru coming out of the shadows from the corner of the meditation room.

Shikamaru slid his arm down his thigh, opened a brown pouch attached to it, and took out a _kunai_. Without even trying to aim, he threw it dexterously at the meditating body. The clone immediately turned to smoke while the smoke disappeared into thin air. He crossed his arms in front of him and raised a mocking brow. "Aren't you going to ask what I'm doing here?"

When he wasn't able to illicit a response, Shikamaru sighed audibly and told him, "Not in the mood for friendly banter, eh?"

When the silence kept going, he let out another sigh, his hard form plopping onto the floor as he narrowed his gaze on the unmoving Uchiha.

"Of course you know that Tsunade-_sama _is still pissed with you. If she ever found out you weren't even following the ANBU's orders, she might just go berserk the very next time you see her. On another note, the bank has reopened the Uchiha's frozen account with the request of the _Hokage_. They will, however, be monitoring your expenses. We can't have you buying weapons and whatever to destroy the world." The last sentence was coupled with a wink. But returning said sentiment wasn't something that Sasuke had the slightest interest in at the moment

"Oh, by the way, if you keep up being a 'good boy' for the next two weeks they—well the _Hokage _really—are going to pull off the ANBU guards stationed here. Though by then you need to report to the _Hokage _daily and there will still be authorities to check on you every now and then."

He stood up, walking towards the opened exiting sliding door. "One last thing," Shikamaru paused, his right hand on the edge of the _fusuma_ while the other was inside his green pant pocket. He looked up at the dimly lit night sky, his eyes caressing the cumulus clouds clearly outlined by the moon's light. "Naruto's awake."

To anyone with untrained eyes looking at a dimly lit room such as the one he was currently residing, it would look like the Uchiha didn't even react at the news. But to a _shinobi_, you would see with ease the imperceptive tightening of his jaw and the slight narrowing of his eyes.

Shikamaru smirked. He spoke again, but this time at a lower volume, almost a whisper. "I won't pester you for the details as to where you went off to for the past half hour after leaving the hospital premises. You better make sure it's nothing that would hurt the people of Konoha."

With that parting threat, Sasuke stared at the moonlight that had spilled into the room after Shikamaru left. Slowly, he stood up from his _seiza, _walked towards the entrance, and slid the _fusuma _close with a decisive click.

---

_He's awake! _

Sakura nimbly ran through the narrow corridors of the hospital, taking care not to hit anything or anyone that might suddenly block her path. So great was her excitement at finally being able to see the energetic blonde _shinobi _that adrenaline rushed throughout her body as she ran up the stairs to the third floor, making her fingers and feet tingle in response.

"Na—" She stopped before she could even open the door midway thru. Hinata was latched on to Naruto and was currently sobbing on his chest. She had forgotten that it was her that had patched through a message on the hospital that Naruto had awakened.

"_Oi, oi_," Naruto gently rebuked a sobbing Hinata tightly latched on to his chest. Her head was buried on his healed stomach while her hands tightly clutched at his back.

"Uchiha-_san_," Hinata started, making Naruto stiffen in response at the mention of the _shinobi_'s name. "Uchiha-_san_ visits you everyday."

Behind them, Sakura stifled an audible gasp upon hearing that Sasuke visited the hospital – and he was supposed to be under house arrest! And what was this about only Hinata knowing about his clandestine visits? Her grasp on the doorknob tightened. Wasn't Hinata supposed to be the one who was the outsider to their friendship? This time, she couldn't stop the audible gasp that escaped from her lips. She was aghast at where her thoughts were taking her. It must be the adrenaline that was pumping her brain into over-activity.

A few moments of silence passed through the small room. Her breath caught in her throat, thinking that the people might have noticed she was there at the door already to explain the silence. Instead, Naruto broke it by saying:

"Of course! We can't have my girl going unprotected!"

Hinata blushed. She buried her face in the crook of his neck while she gasped out a muffled "Naruto!"

Sakura finally had the courage to interrupt them by knocking on the door twice.

"Oh! Sakura-_chan_!"

"Hey," Sakura replied with a forced smile.

"Wow, news sure does travel fast!"

"Huh?" Sakura's brows knitted at Naruto's thumbs-up sign thrown at her—or rather—_behind _her. She whipped her head to her back, only to recoil inside the room when she found out that Rookie Nine's Ino and Chouji plus Lee and Tenten were behind her, all of them sporting goofy smiles and waving a hand in greeting.

Three days later, Sakura went to Naruto's hospital room to find Naruto and Hinata still close to each other, though this time their faces and tone of conversation held happiness and relief. Inwardly, she was glad Hinata was laughing again – not to mention she had that permanent blush on her cheeks whenever she was with Naruto. She was too cute for her own good.

"Ah—Sakura-_chan_!" Naruto exclaimed as soon as he saw her hover at the open door uncertainly.

Sakura scowled playfully, stomped her way towards the bed, and bonked him on the head with the clipboard she had in her hand when he went on to ask her for a hug.

"Don't flirt with girls in front of your girlfriend!"

Hinata giggled, more so when Naruto faked a pained expression. Sakura noticed Naruto's hand tighten affectionately for a moment over Hinata's. She looked at her former teammate with gentleness. "You excited about getting out of the hospital?"

"No way! I'll miss wearing this," he pointed at the hospital gown he was sporting. "It's so cool and comfy!"

"Stupid!" She shouted as her eyes twitched. "That's because save for the gown that's covering your front, you've got nothing underneath, you pervert!"

"NO! Please spare Hinata's innocence!" He shouted theatrically as he covered both of Hinata's ears.

Hinata smiled in response at the two's playful banter.

"Naruto," Sakura spoke, her face turning somber at her next words. "_Hokage-sama _would like to talk to you as soon as you are able to."

"O—a new mission?"

"It's about Sasuke, _baka_!" Sakura reacted rather harshly.

"Sorry, Sakura-_chan_, I was just fooling around."

"W-well, it's not something to be taken lightly!" She said with her voice cracking, her eyes downcast, hiding the fact that she was on the verge of tears.

"Sakura-_chan_," Hinata stood up, letting go of Naruto's hand with an apologetic smile, and used the same hand to gently close around Sakura's wrist. "Let's go get drinks," she said with a small, comforting smile. She lightly tugged at Sakura's hand, silently urging her friend to follow her outside.

With a nod, Sakura let Hinata drag her out of the room.

As soon as the door closed in front of him, Naruto turned to the solitary window in the hospital room, his big grin fading as his face took on a grave look.

Outside, the two walked side-by-side, silence governing them as each were lost in their own thoughts.

"Hinata," Sakura called out her name softly when they were gliding down the stairs.

"_Hai?"_

"_Hokage-sama _would also like to talk to those who were involved with Sasuke that day."

"I see. I'll be going with Naruto, then?" She inquired after some silent pondering.

"No, she'll talk to us a day after her talk with Naruto."

"I see."

They entered the hospital lounge with none of them speaking. Wordlessly, Hinata took out a handful of coins from her pant pocket and dropped it onto Sakura's waiting open palms.

"I wish everything would go back to the way it was seven years ago," Sakura said wistfully as she inserted the coins on the vending machine.

"If that happens then I wouldn't have had the nerve to confess to Naruto-_kun_."

"God, you're right!" She exclaimed with widened eyes, her hands grasping Hinata's slender upper arms. "I'm sorry, Hinata-_chan_! I was being selfish, wasn't I?"

"Not at all, Sakura-_chan_," she stated with her usual smile.

---

A day later, the _Hokage _agreed to release Naruto from the hospital. Hinata had taken the day off from the academy to help him. After all, it had been more than a month since he last slept in his apartment.

Hinata carefully laid down the bags of groceries onto Naruto's wooden breakfast table. She started the task of emptying the contents of the paper bags into the overhead cupboards. In the background, she could hear Naruto padding on his bare feet around the apartment, taking and dropping things carelessly.

When she finished with the groceries she proceeded to the sink and filled a kettle she had taken from one of the cabinets under the sink and filled it with tap water. When it was settled down on the heated stove she grabbed one of the three bowls of instant ramen and opened it.

"Hi. Na. C_ha—n_!"

Naruto latched his arms around her waist from her back, breathing in her scent from the crook of her neck as he did.

"Naruto, that tickles!" She announced breathlessly, her neck shying away from his nose as she dropped the plastic ramen bowl on the kitchen counter.

He grinned. "That's better. You looked like a ghost standing here on my kitchen all silent and stuff."

Hinata smiled. She couldn't really keep a serious face when Naruto was like this. She turned around, putting both her hands on his shoulders during the process, and stood with the tips of her toes to drop a kiss on the angle of his jaw. But she was met with his lips instead when he dropped his head to meet her halfway. He followed her lips with his when she drew back. She felt Naruto's arms tighten around her waist, making her body mold closer to his.

Behind them, the kettle's spout whistled, signifying that the water in it had reached boiling point. She broke off the kiss, her eyes focusing on Naruto's passion-glazed eyes. "Y-your ramen…" she pointed out weakly.

"Later. Much, much later," he said huskily as he recaptured her lips.

She closed her eyes, willing her restless mind to shut itself away from its confused thoughts. She wanted to feel, to forget what had happened. But she couldn't. Not when he had almost died on her. She forcibly pushed him away. With determination echoing in her steps, she plodded her way to the stove and turned the dial off. Taking a much needed deep breath, she turned around and faced him, eyes set grimly at him.

"We have to talk."

---

Uchiha Sasuke sat on his hunches, a cup of green tea cradled in between his hands, his back leaning against the closed _shoji_. His head was tipped up, looking at the heavens above. He didn't seem to mind that his tea was going colder by the minute as he continued to leave it untouched.

It was the erratic movement and abnormal rattling of the shrubberies that alerted him that the event was anything but out of the ordinary. For one, there was no breeze. Another thing was that the Uchiha compound was so far from the Konoha entrance gates, untamed animals that strayed the premises were next to nothing – at least as far as he could remember. The possibility could not be thrown, but to his highly sensitive ears, the movement was too accidental and not at all natural.

His right hand instinctively went for the weapon pouch situated on his lower leg but it grasped nothing but air. It was only then that he remembered that it was confiscated from him. Without any weapon in hand to check out the situation, he chose instead to stay on his current position and wait for further movement. For the next minute everything was absolutely still.

"What was it?"

He turned around at the sound of a man's low voice behind him and saw the two ANBUs keeping guard of him since his return, one flanking each of his side.

The three froze in response to another movement of the shrubberies—a movement triggered not of fear but of concentration—this time twenty feet away from the original source. The two ANBUs bulleted towards the thick shrubberies a second later, leaving a mildly contemplative Uchiha standing on the hardwood floor.

---

Hinata lightly treaded one of the bare Konoha streets that led to the block of apartments she was living in. She had left a complaining Naruto in his apartment. She hadn't understood why Naruto had been acting objectionable to what she had been saying. She still couldn't. She had the sudden urge to hit something—anything—to let out her frustrations. Sakura loved doing that, making her think it might be really effective (even if her target was Naruto's head).

While she was walking while still pondering about Naruto, two chakra signatures filled with murderous intent entered her area of awareness, making her heart stop for a moment before her instincts quickly took over.

However, as soon as she had activated her bloodline limit, a large hand closed over her small throat and pushed her down with great force. Less than a second later, she was lying on the ground, her eyes training on the full moon. Her _Byakugan _had deactivated, but not before seeing the black silhouette of a person that had been running at an incredible speed on her path and was most likely the one that had tackled her to the ground.

A few seconds past, two forms wearing ANBU uniform and masks zoomed past her normal line of vision, an aura of offensive intent emanating from them.

"You okay?"

She wasn't really hurt, merely winded by the impact which she cushioned herself with using a little bit of chakra at the moment of knowing she was going to slam to the ground. She vigorously nodded her head, making it rub painfully against of the rubble beneath her. She winced.

Her eyes widened when it registered on her brain that she was lying down on a dented and cracked road. Her mouth followed when she realized who the voice belonged to.

"Here."

She took the hand that was offered with little to no resistance, her heart beating against her ribs as the young man hoisted her up and against his chest.

"You were following me?!"

She flushed red at the sight of a pair of bright cerulean eyes staring back at her with so much shock flickering in them. She herself was surprised with the force and volume her outburst had taken.

"_Go-Gomen_!"

Hinata stared at him blankly at the sudden apology. For a second there, she thought she had been the one to apologize.

Naruto turned red at Hinata's blank look. He immediately let go of her and turned around.

It must have been his reaction and his face that triggered her to move and grab his wrist to stop him from leaving. They had to fix this, she thought to herself.

They just had to.

Uchiha Sasuke watched the exchange between the two at a safe distance. He had trailed behind the two ANBU's a few seconds after their swift pursuit. He only stopped when he felt Naruto and the _Kyuubi_'s chakra signature close in on the area. Swiftly, he turned around and retraced his steps back to the Uchiha compound.

* * *

Major credit to Shiranui the Brave for proofreading this chapter. He makes writing so much easier. Reviews would be nice. 

**Disclaimer: **This fiction is written for entertainment purposes only, thus, the authoress will not be profiting from this. Naruto and its characters are owned by Masashi Kishomoto.


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